Last Thursday, on the 8th of February, we had a brief warm and rainy spell. The temperature rose to about 50F during the day and then dropped into the high 40s as night unfolded. Although way too early in the season for amphibian activity here in upstate New York, I decided to visit a local natural area just in case a wayward Jefferson Salamander was on the move ...

Last Thursday, on the 8th of February, we had a brief warm and rainy spell. The temperature rose to about 50F during the day and then dropped into the high 40s as night unfolded. Although way too early in the season for amphibian activity here in upstate New York, I decided to visit a local natural area just in case a wayward Jefferson Salamander was on the move.

It was raining, so I left my video camera in my car. With the aid of a bright headlamp, I carefully searched the area for over an hour. As I had expected, I didn’t find any salamanders. So, around 8pm, I decided to call it quits and began walking back to my car. And that’s when I found one, a male, moving quickly across a grassy clearing. I rushed back to my car to retrieve my camera and then returned to the clearing.

Although it took me awhile, I managed to find him again and document his movements as he ambled under a grove of tall pine trees and then marched into the wooded swamp. He was moving so quickly that I had trouble keeping my camera on him, and I was quite lucky to capture the moment when he scurried over some ice and then slithered into an open pool, quickly disappearing into the leafy muck.

Well folks … this is living proof that SPRING IS HERE! There is no argument about this. One salamander on the move proves, without question, that the season of renewal has finally arrived in my neck-of-the-woods!

Now, just six days later, snow covers the ground again and it looks and feels like winter outside (see above photo, taken today). But I know better. And if I come to doubt my declaration of spring, all I need to do is think of the salamander, resting patiently in swamp, ready to burst into action during the next warm, rainy spell. He does not doubt that it’s spring, so why should I?

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In early March of 2015, I gathered some stunning footage of a Jefferson Salamander crossing a snow patch during its early spring migration to the breeding pond. Shortly after, I put together a video featuring my nicest clips, set against the Bach-Ganoud version of Ave Maria, as played by harpist Cyril Baranov (which I found at pond5.com).

I decided to call my video Snow Trekker, and I remember being quite happy with the result. The only thing missing was an introductory narrated explanation of the natural history behind the footage, plus perhaps some poetic verse sprinkled here and there during the musical portion.

I had hoped to transform my video soon after, but then came a health crisis followed by nearly two years where I focused almost entirely on binaural soundscape recording (culminating in my new app). So, progress on Snow Trekker was delayed … until now.

Last weekend, feeling rather stressed-out after the publication of my app, I decided to focus on something entirely different, so as to give my mind a rest. So why not work up one of my old videos? Searching my archives, I soon stumbled upon Snow Trekker and within minutes I hatched a plan to revise it … and now, just several days later, I’m pleased to publish the result, for all the world to see and hear.

I hope you like my narrated version of Snow Trekker and I’d love to hear what you think of it. So please chime-in below if you have the time and interest. I also have a question that needs answering: “during the snow trek section, is my voice easy to hear against the music, or should the music be lowered a bit?

Friends … if you find that my blog has a positive impact on your life, please help support my effort by making a modest donation.

Hi All! As you're already aware (at least I think), I just published my new mobile application, Pure Nature - 3D soundscapes, which features a large selection of immersive 3D binaural soundscapes that are suitable for relaxation and personal enjoyment. You may wonder how I got into this work, about what led me to travel a half-million miles to gather the recordings that form the basis of the app. So here is brief history of my work ...

Hi All! As you’re already aware (at least I think), I just published my new mobile application, Pure Nature – 3D soundscapes, which features a large selection of immersive 3D binaural soundscapes that are suitable for relaxation and personal enjoyment. You may wonder how I got into this work, about what led me to travel a half-million miles to gather the recordings that form the basis of the app. So here is brief history of my work:

My Story

I have been recording the voices of nature for well over thirty years. I am the author of numerous audio guides to the songs and calls of birds, frogs, insects and mammals, and I am quite well-known in my field.

Early in my career, my primary goal was to capture close and clean recordings of particular species with the help of highly directional parabolic and shotgun microphones. The object was to extract a species’ song from its surroundings, thereby minimizing ambient sounds and isolating the song for clear and unambiguous listening.

Such recordings are incredibly useful when it comes to training people to recognize species by their sounds. I excelled at this process and not only published a number of my own guides to wildlife sounds, but also provided recordings for museum and nature center exhibits, as well as for movies and a variety of other projects. More recently, my “species-recordings” have found their way on to the internet and into smartphones.

Chasing after species and getting closeup recordings was a lot of fun and involved numerous expeditions to wild areas. The joy of the hunt and capturing each animals’ voice was truly satisfying. Nonetheless, over time, I found myself growing bored with the extraction-approach to nature recording and instead began to focus on the natural soundscape as a whole, on the full orchestra of sound flowing to my ears at any particular time and place. I became interested in the aesthetics involved, on what made natural soundscapes beautiful and uplifting, and on what constellations of sounds affected me in positive ways.

In order to share my perceptions with others, I began looking for an appropriate microphone technology that would allow me to capture and convey spacious 3D ambient soundscapes. After considerable research, I homed-in on the “binaural” recording technique, which utilizes special dual-microphone setups that usually resemble the human head (mine actually looks a bit different … see photo at top of page).

Binaural recording works by capturing the same spatial cues that our brains use to determine distances and directions of incoming sounds: 1) time arrival differences of sounds between the two ears, 2) intensity differences, and 3) phase differences. If a binaural microphone is properly designed, the resulting two-channel recording contains all the necessary information to re-construct a three-dimensional sound-field that closely resembles the actual outdoor listening experience.

The only catch is that one must use headphones in order to enjoy the effect. Why? Because it is imperative that the left ear hears only the sound recorded by the left microphone and the right ear hears only the sound recorded by the right microphone. In other words, the two channels must be kept completely separate. When headphones are used, such separation is accomplished, and binaural recordings impart a sense of spaciousness that is shocking in its realism. How fortunate I was to have discovered this splendid recording technique!

Equipped with my trusty binaural microphone, I began exploring wild areas across North America in search of pristine natural soundscapes. I visited forests and prairies, high mountains and deserts, southern swamps and northern lakes, ocean shores and seabird islands. Altogether, I traveled over a half million miles, collecting hypnotic earth sounds such as thunder, wind, rain and waves, along with rousing dawn choruses and the mysterious voices of the night.

Through repeated, in-depth exposure to nature’s melodies, I soon developed a deep appreciation of their healing qualities and came to regard myself as a “sound healer” of sorts, with a focus on the voices of nature. I likened myself to an herbalist who goes into the forests and fields in search of medicinal herbs … but I head into the wilds in search of immersive and atmospheric soundscapes that are transportive, relaxing, and that have a tonic effect on one’s body and mind.

Not every natural soundscape has healing qualities. Some are too cacophonous. Others are dull and constricted. And many are polluted by the sounds of human machinery, barking dogs and the like. It’s not easy to find the right balance of sound … audio celebrations that touch and move us at the deepest level.

In large measure, my work is intuitive. There is scant research on the healing qualities of natural soundscapes and studies of aesthetics are rare. So I’ve had to develop my own language of appreciation and come to trust my inner promptings as I move about in the wilds, microphone in hand. To listen deeply, it has been necessary for me to quiet the chatter in my mind so that I can feel the subtle effects of what I am hearing and become more attuned to the extraordinary music that surrounds me.

Collecting natural soundscapes has been my passion for 20 years now and I’ve worked very hard to amass a large collection of high-quality binaural recordings from a wide variety of habitats and locations. My immersive 3D soundscapes literally “speak for themselves.” Many are supremely meditative, calming and sublime, perfect for inducing relaxation and a healing response. Others are engaging, captivating and awe-inspiring, and provoke a sense of amazement at the powerful auditory expressions of wild nature. I am also confident that the vast majority possess an artful quality, the result of careful microphone placement in remote natural areas where one can still experience relief from the incessant noise of civilization.

As you can imagine, I am very pleased to have created my new mobile application, which showcases my best work. I consider it to be a gift of sorts, from me to you, and a heartfelt invitation to immerse yourself in the healing voices of the natural world.

Naturally yours,

Friends … if you find that my blog has a positive impact on your life, please help support my effort by making a modest donation.

Greetings everyone! I'm pleased to announce that I've just published Yasuni Soundscapes, a fully-binaural, 30-minute narrated podcast featuring 23 recordings I made in early November at Sani Lodge, in the Yasuni National Park region of Ecuador's lowland Amazon rainforest. In this immersive nature sound experience, I share my rainforest recording adventure, condensing nearly six days of field work into a reconstruction of a typical day of observing and listening.

]]>Greetings everyone! I’m pleased to announce that I’ve just published Yasuni Soundscapes, a fully-binaural, 30-minute narrated podcast featuring 23 recordings I made in early November at Sani Lodge, in the Yasuni National Park region of Ecuador’s lowland Amazon rainforest. For a realistic 3D sound experience, please listen using headphones!

In this immersive nature sound experience, I share my Amazon rainforest recording adventure, condensing nearly six days of field work into a reconstruction of a typical day of observing and listening. The soundscapes that are featured can indeed be experienced in a day. Not so with recording … it’s far easier to listen than to actually capture the soundscapes. I worked very hard, day and night, for my entire stay. I’m quite happy with the results, but I sure wish I could have extended my trip another week or two, so that I could sink more deeply into the spectacular Yasuni rainforest environment.

As an aside, the guides at Sani Lodge, all indigenous, were terrific. Not only did they know the sounds of virtually everything, they were also wonderful imitators, quite often singing back to the birds, for the sheer joy of it. I was humbled by the depth of their connection to their surroundings. Javier Hualinga, who was in charge of overseeing our stay, was of considerable help … he listened to my recordings and identified the main singers! Without his help, it would have taken me weeks to figure it all out.

Please let me know what you think of my podcast! And for more information about my trip, please check out my previous Ecuador or Bust blog post.

Friends … if you find that my blog has a positive impact on your life, please help support my effort by making a modest donation.

Hi all! I am fresh back from Ecuador and excited to share soundscapes I recorded at the wonderful Sani Lodge, located along the Napo River about 50 miles downriver from Coca, Ecuador. I've posted 21 (so far) on SoundCloud ... you can listen to them via the playlist below ...

Hi all! I am fresh back from Ecuador and excited to share soundscapes I recorded at the wonderful Sani Lodge, located along the Napo River about 50 miles downriver from Coca, Ecuador. I’ve posted 21 (so far) on SoundCloud … you can listen to them via the playlist below, or else go to my SoundCloud Channel where you can listen to individual tracks and read descriptions. See my previous post, Ecuador or Bust, for information about Sani Lodge and the film project I’m involved in.

Note that these are binaural soundscapes. For an immersive super-realistic 3D listening experience, please use headphones and adjust volume to a comfortable listening level (not too loud).

Below is a light-hearted yet informative “Production Crew Music Video” created by Keven Siegert, team member and super-talented cinematographer and photographer. I really like the video because it features not only the beautiful Sani Lodge habitats, but also our team hard at work (including yours truly).

Me-Lang in canoe with Eddie, on of Sani’s excellent guides:

The lodge itself, viewed from the lagoon:

As always, please let me know what you think of these recordings … and the video as well!

Friends … if you find that my blog has a positive impact on your life, please help support my effort by making a modest donation.

Hi Everyone! Guess what? I'm heading to Ecuador in a few days to spend a week at Sani Lodge, situated in lowland rainforest along the Rio Napo (in Yasuni National Park). I'll be gathering binaural ambience recordings for a movie about rainforest birds and relevant conservation issues. Check out this post if you are interested in learning more details. And rest assured that upon my return, I'll share my favorite recordings, along with photos and perhaps some videos as well.

Hallelujah! I get to spend a week in lowland rainforest at the wonderful Sani Lodge, located in Ecuador’s Yasuni National Park! I leave on October 31st, flying first to Quito, and then heading to the lodge by way of Coca and the Rio Napo. I’ll be gathering binaural soundscapes to be used in a movie about bird biodiversity and conservation. What’s more, I’ll be accompanied by my good friend Carl Gerhardt, a well-known frog research biologist who is now a budding film-maker. We plan to have a jolly good time!

I’m actually part of a scouting team that will scope out possibilities at the lodge. At a later time this winter (not their winter), a team of crack birders will arrive and do a “big day” bird count which will be documented by the cinematographers. The movie will not only cover bird biodiversity, but will also address conservation issues such as oil extraction and logging.

The Ecuadorian rainforest is the most biologically diverse in the world. As pointed out in a recent blog post by team member Kevin Siegert, “2,274 species of trees and bushes have been identified, over 550 birds species are on the Sani Bird List, making it one of the highest lists in the world. 80 species of bats, the second highest number ever registered. 105 species of amphibians, 83 of reptiles, 64 species of social sting-less bees, also a world record in this group. 100,000 species of insects per hectare, again the greatest number of species of any place ever studied.”

I am so excited about the trip! There is wireless at Sani Lodge, so I’m hoping it will be fast enough to post some of the results … at least text and photos, but hopefully also some sound recordings. I’m also buying a brand new iPhone (maybe even the XS Max), with the idea that I will do some V-logging as well.

My return date is November 10. At that time, I’ll drum up a blog post or two and maybe even a podcast featuring recordings from my trip. So please stay tuned!

Sani Lodge, here I come!

Friends … if you find that my blog has a positive impact on your life, please help support my effort by making a modest donation.

Spring Delights 2018 is a 24 minute podcast featuring immersive binaural recordings I gathered this year during the height of spring. This is the first of two or three podcasts that will celebrate this season's work. To experience the incredible spaciousness of the recordings, please listen using headphones!

]]>Spring Delights 2018 – a binaural podcast featuring recordings I gathered this year during the height of spring. NOTE: This is a binaural podcast; please listen using headphones!

Hi all! I apologize for being absent from my blog for so long (no posts for nearly six months), but I have an excuse … I’ve been working almost non-stop on developing an application for Apple mobile devices that will feature over a hundred of my most immersive binaural soundscapes. It is due to hit the app store in early December and I’ll provide more information around launch time. While work on the app has pretty much dominated my life for months, I have nonetheless managed to get outdoors on occasion, and my current podcast showcases a number of my favorite catches.

Spring Delights 2018 is 24 minutes long and features recordings I gathered this year during the height of spring. It is a fully-binaural production, and is the first of two or three podcasts summarizing this season’s work. To experience the incredible spaciousness of the recordings, please listen using headphones!

Note that I’ve included long un-narrated sections of nature sounds, which should give you plenty of time to wallow in the magic of it all, without me chatting all the time. Aside from my minute-long introduction, I’ve tried to minimize my narration by giving just enough information for each recording to set the scene for personal appreciation and enjoyment.

Let me know what you think of the content, structure and timing of this podcast. And rest assured that your valuable input will influence how I craft future productions.

If all goes well and I get a substantial following, I plan to continue publishing podcasts through the winter months and also during my travels next spring and summer and beyond. My voice is holding up pretty good and I suspect that podcasting will soon become a central focus on my work.

Friends … if you find that my blog has a positive impact on your life, please help support my effort by making a modest donation.

Nonetheless, I gathered recordings of 21 species on four different days and I’ve put together this new podcast … Delayed Spring … to celebrate what I found. About twenty minutes long, the podcast features quite a number of deliciously spacious binaural soundscape recordings. So, if you listen with headphones or earbuds, you may very well think you’re out in nature with me, fully immersed in the 3D sound environment. Note that I’ve made a special effort to include long intervals where you just hear the sounds of nature, rather than me gabbing about it all.

Returning to my studio this morning, I set about editing the recordings and throwing together a narrative, which I performed off-the-cuff, without writing down any script. I rather like the result … uncomplicated, straightforward, and without too much talking. I was lucky to have gotten so many recordings, which makes for a compelling little bird walk, so suitable for celebrating the dawn chorus on an early spring day.

As usual, let me know what y’all think!

p.s. This podcast seems to be getting a lot of traction, I think because it emphasizes the experience of being outdoors, as opposed to providing “information about things”. You may note that I offer little in the way of explanations. Mainly the podcast is a celebration of nature’s voices and our ability as humans to take pleasure in recognizing whose voices we’re hearing. When one can identify the songs and calls of birds and other creatures (and when one has some previous experience with each), every walk in nature becomes a “walk among friends” who are calling out to our ears. Quite often, I feel as if I have been created by nature to sense and celebrate itself. That is clearly my calling and perhaps my highest purpose in life.

Friends … if you find that my blog has a positive impact on your life, please help support my effort by making a modest donation.

During the winter, I busy myself with creative work in my studio but try to keep in touch with what is happening out in wild nature. For a long time, I've wanted to get a powerful "elemental" soundscape featuring winter wind blowing through pines or spruces, and on February 28 the opportunity to do just that came blowing my way.

A powerful winter snowstorm passed through our area with wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour. Excited about the prospects, I dressed warmly and headed to nearby Shindagin Hollow where I explored a high road that skirts across the upper slope of the mountain above the hollow. The wind was blowing incessantly, with periodic huge gusts. Soon I homed-in on a dense stand of Norway Spruce. A small meltwater brook meandered through the trees and I set my soundscape microphone so that the brook’s gentle gurgle could be clearly heard during intervals when the wind dropped somewhat in intensity.

I was thrilled when I listened later in my studio. The soundscape is wonderfully spacious, with wind gusts coming and going with regularity. There is also a lot of low frequency rumble generated by the wind. Originating higher up the slope in the bare hardwoods, the wind literally rumbled down the slope of the mountain without pause.

This rather long soundscape (24-minutes) should definitely be listened-to using headphones or earbuds with good bass response. If you adjust the volume carefully so that the wind gusts are not too loud, you will soon relax into the sound experience and become mesmerized as you surrender to its magic spell.

As always, please let me know what you think!

Friends … if you find that my blog has a positive impact on your life, please help support my effort by making a modest donation.